The Last Battle
by absentmindedgenius
Summary: “Voldemort is in the Ministry. I have to get there, so one way or another, this whole damn war can be finished.”rnrnIt's crunch time for Harry, as he is forced to make a crucial decision. But how far will he need to take it?rnrn-COMPLETE- Sequel in planni
1. The Plan

_AN: This was originally written as a challenge fic for another site. It shares many ideas with my other fanfiction published here "Remembering", but has several crucial differences. You certainly don't need to have read that to understand this._

_Hope you enjoy it!_

**The Last Battle**

_Weasley can save anything  
He never leaves a single ring  
That's why Gryffindors all sing  
Weasley is our King!_

_Potter never fails to impress  
He'll catch the snitch before the rest  
Bring glory to the lions crest  
Potter is the best!_

_Gryffindor has won the game  
Left the rest out in the rain  
As we continue our mighty reign  
Gryffindor wins again!_

As Harry and Ron were carried on top of a heaving mass of red and gold, Harry couldn't help smiling. Beneath him, the crowd was roaring out the words of the new, improved version of "Weasley is our King." He didn't know where it had come from, just that he had heard the "Potter never fails…" verse as he closed his hand around the snitch. And now the crowd seemed reluctant to stop singing the three verse song.

He glanced across at Ron, who was beaming so widely that Harry thought his head would split in two. He didn't seem to mind Harry sharing his song; after all, he was still King Weasley, a fitting title for the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team who had seen his team give away a mere eighty points over the last two years. A record culminating in today's game, which gave Gryffindor the cup for the third year in a row…fourth if you discounted Harry and Ron's fourth year.

Harry grinned at Ron, who winked and threw him the handsome quidditch cup. Harry caught it deftly, and waved it above his head as the crowd cheered even louder. Nothing, Harry thought, could spoil tonight.

How wrong he was..

"All students please go immediately to the Great Hall."

The clipped Scottish tones of Professor McGonagall, headmistress since the death of Dumbledore the previous year, rang through the hallways of Hogwarts. Up in the Gryffindor common room, the partying came to an abrupt halt. As the younger years looked fearful, Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. Surely the fates wouldn't be so cruel as to allow Voldemort to spoil this special night? But from the looks on his friends' faces, Harry guessed that they were thinking the same as he was. Without sharing a word, Ron and Hermione rounded up the students and led them out of the door. Harry brought up the rear, along with Ginny Weasley.

"You…you don't think it's _him_, do you, Harry?" asked Ginny with wide eyes. Harry shrugged.

"Who else could it be? Anyway, it'd be just like him to spoil this, our last ever game of Quidditch."

"It won't be your last, Harry, not if you don't want it to be. You know that Oliver Wood always said you could play for England."

"That's supposing I survive that long," Harry said, darkly. He had finally shared the contents of Trelawney's prophecy at the end of his sixth year, telling Ron, Hermione and Ginny just before he left them for Privet Drive. Of the three, Ginny had taken it the worst. Harry had originally thought that it was because she had fought her own battle against Voldemort, albeit when he was still Tom Riddle. He knew that Ginny had some idea of what Lord Voldemort was capable of, more so than his other friends. Lately, though, Harry had begun to wonder. He suspected that Ginny felt something for him, despite claiming to be over her crush. _If I had been a normal boy_, he thought, _I'd jump at the chance to go out with Ginny Weasley. But I'm not normal. Voldemort made sure of that. _

Harry thumped his fist into the palm of his hand in anger

"Damn him!" he said fiercely. _Why does he always spoil everything?_

Ginny gave him a tentative look, and he smiled weakly.

"Don't worry, Gin, I'm sure it's nothing major."

But even as he spoke the words, he knew that they weren't true.

As they entered the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall motioned for them all to sit on the floor. All the other houses were already there, but Harry couldn't help noticing that several of the older Slytherins, Malfoy included, were conspicuous only in their absence. _That couldn't be good, _he thought. Above him, the ceiling showed a patchy night sky, and it looked like it was about to rain. Harry looked around at the hall. The House tables were stacked against the walls near the door. They looked ominously like potential barricades. All around, students talked in hushed whispers, wondering why they were sitting on the floor. A few looked around as the Gryffindors came in, but most seemed engrossed in discussing what was happening.

The usual banners and candles brightened the walls, but even they could not brighten the mood, or eradicate the terrible air of suspense and waiting.

"Students, staff, I have called you here to give you some terrible news." Professor McGonagall's voice shook slightly as she looked across the sea of faces before her. Many of the older students bowed their heads, knowing somehow what was to come.

"He-who-must-not-be-named has gathered together all of his Death Eaters, and is preparing to make the largest attack in this war so far.

"Where?" shouted out a Ravenclaw sixth year.

"Here. Here at Hogwarts." Harry had never seen Professor McGonagall look so solemn, and there was another emotion that he had never seen in her eyes. Fear. Professor McGonagall was scared.

"I and the professors need to have a word; after that, all students will be escorted down to the dungeons. I ask you all to stay strong, but most importantly to follow instructions precisely. I need not tell you that this is likely to be the darkest hour in the history of our school."

As the other teachers joined the Headmistress in leaving the dais for the side room, Harry felt two people come up behind him. He turned to see who it was, but he felt he knew who it would be.

"Alright, Harry?" Ron asked quietly, looking at him in concern.

"Yeah," Harry said, but inside, he was anything but.

"No," Harry suddenly exploded. "We can't just sit around and wait for Voldemort to destroy Hogwarts. We have to do something…" he corrected himself, "I have to do something."

"Not on your own, you don't," Hermione said, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

"You know I'm the only one who can defeat him!" Harry hissed angrily, bringing the level of his voice down to match that of his friends.

"Yeah, mate," said Ron," But we can help you get there."

Harry glared at them. Why couldn't they see that they didn't need to put their lives in unnecessary danger?

"Harry, do you have your DA galleon with you?" Hermione asked him, looking thoughtful. Harry put his hand in his pocket. Although he hadn't felt like calling a meeting since Christmas, he still carried his coin with him. He felt safer with it, for some reason. He drew it out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione.

"What do you want that for?" asked Ron, looking over Hermione's shoulder.

"You'll see," she said, tapping it with her wand. She handed it back to Harry.

"What was that about?" Harry asked her. Before she could reply, Ron gave a short ouch of pain, and pulled a galleon out of his own pocket. As Harry looked around the hall, he could see several more of the older students echoing Ron's movements. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, Harry?"

He spun around to see Ernie McMillan, Head Boy, looking at him. Behind him stood Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot.

"Justin and Hannah felt their coins burn," Ernie explained. "But there wasn't a date on them, and we wondered why you'd be calling a meeting now."

"I didn't," Harry said. "It was Hermione."

"You said we have to do something," Hermione reminded him. "Who better to help than the DA?"

Sure enough, Harry saw that they were surrounded now by other students, all looking curiously at the Gryffindors to find out what was going on. Harry looked to Hermione, but she motioned him to do the talking. Harry cleared his throat nervously. Two years of the DA had made him slightly better at public speaking, but he still felt uneasy with all the eyes on him.

"OK, so you all felt your coins burn. That's because we reckon that we can't just sit around and let Voldemort…" he paused for the usual collective wince, "…just take over without a fight. The last two years, we've been preparing to fight, and tonight, I'm going to face Voldemort myself."

A gasp went up from the crowd.

"Why you, Harry?" Michael Corner asked disbelief on his face.

"I'm not going into details," Harry said "But I'm the only one who can."

All the other students looked at him in disbelief, and some of them muttered amongst themselves. Harry was reminded sharply of fifth year, when everyone suspected him of being a liar and an attention-seeker.

"I'm not going to prove it to you; it's how it is. Why would I say it, if it wasn't true?" Harry demanded.

"He's right," Hermione said, butting in. Her sentiments were echoed by nods from Ron and Ginny.

"Right," Harry continued, feeling slightly better. "I don't know where Voldemort is, but I have to find him." He ignored the intake of breath this time.

"Harry, the map!" Hermione reminded him.

"Oh yeah." He pulled the Marauders Map out of his pocket. He rarely bothered to wipe it now, feeling confident that no one would want to search him. He studied it intensely, Hermione and Ron looking over his shoulder. It was ironic, he thought, that now Dumbledore was gone, people were treating him with the same awe they had always reserved for the former headmaster. Even the teachers were wary of him, and treated him with far greater respect than they did all the other students. _Maybe it's something to do with the fact that I walked away from a battle in which Dumbledore died, _Harry thought sarcastically.

He looked closely at the map, scrutinising the grounds.

"Voldemort's not here" Harry said, and as he did so, his forehead burned sharply.

"What is it?" Ginny asked nervously.

"He's in the Department of Mysteries, in the Veil room," Harry said. He didn't know how he knew, as Voldemort had not shown him a picture, but it was as if he had always known. "I have to go there."

"To the Ministry? Are you mad?" Neville piped up. As the other students realised what Harry was planning on, they added their cries to Neville's.

"Keep it down!" Harry hissed.

"Oh, come on," said Hermione. "Lets discuss this in the entrance hall; no one will hear us there."

"Don't you think they'll notice if we disappear?" Ron asked, with a sideways look at Harry.

"Probably," Hermione replied "But not for a few minutes. Come on. Is anyone looking at us?"

"Well, yes. You and Ernie are the Head Girl and Boy after all," Harry pointed out.

"We need a diversion. Here." Ginny pressed something into Harry's hand. He opened his fist to reveal a dungbomb. Harry slipped through the crowd to the centre of the room and dropped it, before making his way back to his friends. Behind him, all the other students were beginning to fix their attention on the smell emanating from the broken bomb.

"Let's go," whispered Harry urgently, as he opened the door to the entrance hall.

They all followed him out of the Great Hall, and in the confusion, no-one seemed to notice the older students leaving. Harry led them across the hall to stand just inside the front doors. He motioned to Ron, who was last out, to shut the doors of the hall, and turned to face the students. Without giving any of them a chance to say something, he started again.

"Voldemort is in the Ministry. I have to get there, so one way or another, this whole damn war can be finished."

Instead of arguing this time, the others just looked at him. It was obvious from his voice that he wouldn't brook any arguments

"How are you going to get there, Harry?" Luna asked. "The Thestrals again?"

"No, Thestrals would be too slow," Harry said. "I'll have to apparate."

"You can't apparate on..." Hermione started

"The Hogwarts grounds," Harry completed. "I know, Hermione. So I'm going to have to get outside the grounds."

"But there're Death Eaters all over," Ginny said, pointing at the map which Harry still held.

"I know. So that's why I'm going on my own. You lot can stay and fight, or hide if you'd rather. I'm gonna make a break for it, towards the gates. Once I'm there, I can apparate out."

There were several cries of protest at this.

"You'll get taken out before you reach the gate," Dennis Creevey pointed out.

"I'm going to have to take that risk," Harry replied quickly.

"It's too dangerous," Neville said quietly. "You can't risk yourself."

"Come on, Ron, back me up here," pleaded Harry, looking at his best friend.

"It sounds a bit risky," said Ron, doubt in his eyes. Harry let his breath explode out of him.

"Come _on_ Ron. You play chess, don't you? Then you know that sometimes the best attack is one piece, straight down the middle."

"That's true," Ron started, and Harry made for the door in triumph. Before he had gone two steps, he realised that the other students were still right behind him. He turned around and glared at Ron, who was leading.

"But you never send that piece unprotected," Ron continued. "We're all coming with you, mate."


	2. The Execution

**fThe Execution**

As they slipped through the front door, Harry kept half an eye on the map. All the teachers were still in the side room, and the Death Eaters hadn't moved from their positions. Once they had shut the doors quietly, he motioned the others to gather round him once again.

Harry studied the map again, as Ron and Hermione leaned over his shoulders. _So far, so good_, he thought. None of the Death Eaters had moved, so Harry assumed that they hadn't noticed the doors opening and shutting.

"Right, so we're going to the front gates," he muttered, the others leaning in close to hear him properly. "Just keep moving, and don't cast anything until you have to. The longer we can keep unnoticed, the better."

Harry moved off quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible. _Here goes nothing _ he thought. The others followed his lead, but he had only gone a step before some of them closed in front of him.

"No point in losing you straight off," Ernie explained with a shrug. "It's better that we get taken out."

Ernie's comment brought it home to Harry. This was a battle, very likely the final one, and people were going to get killed. _Still_, he thought as they tiptoed onwards, _we haven't been seen yet_. He shivered slightly. Although it was early summer, it was a cold night and it had started to drizzle with rain.

They made it halfway to the gates before Harry regretted his earlier thought.

"Well, if it isn't the little Potter," a voice sneered at him.

"Stupefy!" Harry hissed towards the voice.

"You'll have to do better than that," the voice came again. "But of course, I forgot, you're not capable the unforgivables, are you boy? I, on the other hand, am. Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot from the shadows, hitting the person directly in front of Harry. Ernie dropped to his knees next to the body. He felt for a pulse as the others held their breath.

"It's Luna, Harry, she's gone."

"Come out and show yourself!" Harry said angrily, not bothering to keep the volume down. He kept his wand trained on the spot from which the voice had come, trying to keep his emotions from letting his hand waver. Luna Lovegood was gone. Dead. Because she tried to protect him. But Harry knew he couldn't allow himself the luxury of grieving for her. He had to stay strong.

"Why, certainly." A figure stepped forwards from the shadow of the tree.

"Lestrange," Harry breathed in recognition. He was suddenly elbowed out of the way by another student.

"Sorry, Harry, but I have to do this"

Harry could only look on as the student, who he couldn't recognise in the dim light, raised his wand. It was over in a second.

"Avada Kedavra!" the student shouted. A bright green light erupted from his wand and hit Bellatrix straight in the chest. She crumpled to the ground silently.

But the shouted curse had attracted more cloaked figures. One bent down and examined Lestrange.

"She's dead. Killed by the Longbottom boy."

Harry looked up in amazement. Sure enough, it was Neville who had cast the spell…Neville who usually wouldn't hurt a fly, had killed a Death Eater.

"So, you have taken one of ours? No matter, we will have fun with you." Harry recognised the death eater who had spoken as Lucius Malfoy. He supposed that Draco would be lurking somewhere nearby, a smug grin on his pointed face.

"Crucio!"

Neville's face contorted, he tensed up then fell to the ground, writhing in obvious agony. Harry started forward to help him, but Ron pulled him back.

"Don't forget what you have to do," Hermione said. "We have to carry on."

"We can't leave him!" Harry tugged at Ron's arm, trying to get to Neville.

"Harry, this is more important. We have to go!" A slight waver in Hermione's voice gave away the emotion she was obviously feeling.

Reluctantly, Harry moved back again. Casting a final glance at Neville, he turned and with Hermione and the two Weasleys with him, he sprinted for the gate, closely followed by half a dozen others, the rest remaining behind to fight the death eaters.

_Hold in there, Neville, hold in there, _he thought, as their feet pounded down the driveway, no longer worrying about silence.

Once they reached the gates, Harry stepped outside and leant his head against the wall to catch his breath. He had told the others to stay within the school bounds, as there was extra protection from various spells that the Professors had placed around the school. However, he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Ron, Hermione and Ginny close behind him.

"You're going to be alright, Harry," Ginny said, looking as if she didn't quite believe it.

"Harry, you're worth a thousand of Voldemort," Hermione contributed

"Kick his ass, mate…"

"Ron!" Hermione glared disapprovingly at him.

"What?" Ron looked indignant. Harry laughed. It was good to know that, even in times of war, some things never changed.

"Nothing. Harry, good luck."

"Yeah. Good luck, Harry."

Suddenly, without any warning, the four of them came together in a hug. As he stood with his friends, Harry felt like he never had before, complete. The gap that had always been there since he lost his family was now filled, and he realised something. These three were his family now, and he knew that if by dying tonight, he could stop Voldemort getting to them, he'd do it.

Stepping back, he looked at the rocky ground, unable to see the emotion in his friends' eyes. With a loud crack, he disapparated.

Harry looked around. The room seemed empty, apart from the archway and the fluttering veil. But the atmosphere was tense. Harry didn't know if that was from his own nerves, or from something else. He turned his attention back to the veil. He felt strangely drawn to it, like he had been two years ago. Gripping his wand even more tightly, he started towards the veil, but was suddenly blocked by someone appearing in front of him.

"Harry Potter," said Lord Voldemort in silky tones. "I knew you'd come."

Harry looked up at the monster in front of him.

"I don't care what you do to me, just call your Death Eaters off the school," he said, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

"How noble of you, Harry Potter," Voldemort sneered. "You are willing to die for another, how very Gryffindor. Just like your father, your mother, your godfather…"

Harry stiffened. It was two years ago, almost to the day, that Sirius had died fighting in this very room.

"Yes, boy, that's right, Sirius Black died for you. That's why you're here tonight. Fitting that you should die in the same place, no? Black was a foolish man." Voldemort almost looked thoughtful. "He could have joined me, you know, I gave him the chance years ago."

"Sirius would never join you," Harry spat, "And neither will I!"

"Did I even say I wanted you to?" Voldemort asked, twirling his wand in his long thin fingers. "No, Potter, you have caused me too much trouble over the years. The only thing that will satisfy me now is your death."

On his last word, Voldemort raised his wand quickly and pointed it directly at Harry.

"Avada Kedavra!" he hissed, without missing a beat.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, hoping against hope that the spells would create the same effect as they had last time they faced each other. With bated breath, both Harry and Voldemort watched the two jets of light speed towards each other, and then join in a burst of golden light. The beam connecting the two wands seemed brighter than Harry remembered, and it pained his eyes to look at it.

As a golden cage began to form, there was a loud crack to Harry's left. Keeping all his mental strength focussed on the beam, he nonetheless allowed himself a quick glance.

"Did you think we'd let you come alone?" Ron Weasley shouted, sounding a million miles away.

"Ron, get back!" Harry yelled, just as Ron shouted "Harry!"

He saw his friend stagger back off the dais to the front row of seats, where he was pushed back as if fighting an invisible force. Harry forced his attention back to Voldemort and the beam. Ron would be ok for a minute.

Expecting the same battle of wills as had happened in the graveyard three years ago, Harry pushed all his mental energy into the beads of light. To his surprise, they began to move without resistance. He looked up at Voldemort, who was staring straight at him.

So that's your game, Harry thought, as he felt cold fingers begin to probe his mind. He instinctively relaxed his mental barriers, somehow knowing that occlumency would not help him now. As the fingers probed further into his mind, images swam before Harry's eyes. Cedric, dead. Sirius, dead. Dumbledore, dead.

Despite the images of death and destruction that floated before him, Harry felt like laughing. Voldemort's plan was as clear to him as if the Dark Lord had written it on a piece of parchment. Voldemort knew that he had to destroy Harry, and he was going to do it by first destroying his mind. Closing his eyes tight, Harry fought to think of happy memories, ones he had used in the past to summon his patronus.

The dark images swirled, and were slowly replaced by happier ones. His first broom ride, winning the house cup, Christmas with Sirius. But the images of death did not disappear completely.

"You cannot fight me, Harry Potter," Voldemort's voice hissed inside his brain.

_Yes_, Harry thought, _I can_. He remembered Hermione, Ron and Ginny looking at him just before he disapparated.

"_You're going to be alright, Harry"_

"_Harry, you're worth a thousand of Voldemort."_

"_Kick his ass, mate…"_

"_Ron!"_

"_What?"_

"_Nothing. Harry, good luck."_

"_Yeah. Good luck, Harry."_

And then the image of the four of them clasped in the tight hug flashed clearly into the front of Harry's mind, easily scattering the visions that Voldemort was creating. Instantly, he felt a release on his brain as, with a yell, Voldemort was thrown out of his mind. Harry snapped his eyes open to see the other wizard stagger backwards, pulling the golden beam, and Harry, with him. Time seemed to slow down as Voldemort staggered back more and more, towards the archway. Harry's eyes widened as he realised where Voldemort was headed, and Voldemort noticed his opponent's new expression. Still trying to catch his balance, he turned and looked over his shoulder.

But it was too late. With one last angry shriek, Voldemort fell backwards through the archway and disappeared.

But the golden beam that had previously linked the two wands had not disappeared with him. Instead, it was now linking Harry to the veil, and was pulling him in more than ever.

"Harry!"

Harry felt someone grab him around his waist and pull against the beam.

"Break…the ...connection!" Ron hissed from between his teeth, using all his strength to prevent Harry from disappearing. With a great wrench, Harry pulled his wand up. The golden beam detached from the veil and flew back into Harry's wand, the force slamming him and Ron against the seats around the dais.

"Sweet Merlin, what was that?" Ron half-asked, struggling out from under Harry.

Harry opened up his wand hand and the two boys watched in shock as a small pile of dust fell to the floor.

"How on earth..." Ron began, but was interrupted as Harry fell to his knees.

Harry thought that his head would explode. He had only felt pain like this once before in his life, when Voldemort had possessed him two years ago. That time, Voldemort had used him to speak and move, but this time there was nothing. Just pain.

"What is it, Harry?"

Harry struggled to see Ron through the haze of pain that swam before his eyes. Somehow, by focussing on his friend, he was able to think reasonably clearly.

"It's Voldemort, Ron. Somehow, when that light destroyed my wand, it transferred his soul into me."

Ron looked terrified, unsure whether to help his friend or back away.

"He…he's possessing you?"

"Sort of." Harry clenched his fists so tight that his fingernails dug into the palms of his hands and made them bleed.

"So can't you fight him out? Like you did last time?"

"No," Harry said, with terrible realisation. "There's nowhere for him to go."

"So what now?" Ron relaxed slightly, expecting Harry to tell him it would be ok.

"I've got to follow him. I have to go through the arch."

"NO!" Ron shouted in protest. "You can't, you'll die!"

"Don't you think I don't know that?" in his anger, Harry felt Voldemort try to take control. He took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself.

"He's going to break through, sooner or later, and then it won't matter that he's lost his body. He'll have mine. Don't you see Ron, if I die, he dies with me and the world is safe. If I live, then Hogwarts and the entire world, wizarding _and_ muggle, is doomed. _Neither can live while the other survives. _He's surviving, I can't live. He doesn't need to live properly to cause havoc."

Ron just looked at Harry. Come on, mate, Harry pleaded silently.

"Then," Ron said, his voice shaking ever so slightly "You know what you've got to do."

Harry took a step forward and in one swift movement, he embraced Ron. His friend hugged him back tightly, and as Harry felt himself overwhelmed with love, the agony intensified. Voldemort was close to taking over. The boys separated reluctantly.

"Go, Ron, before I do," Harry said, wincing with pain. "Tell Hermione and Ginny… and everyone, that I'm sorry. And tell McGonagall it's over."

"I can't leave you like this!" protested Ron, his eyes burning with a mixture of fear and love.

"Yes, you can," Harry said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Go!"

Ron straightened up, but before he left, he looked Harry straight in the eye.

"We'll never forget you, mate."

A loud crack rent the air, and Ron was gone.

With no-one to see him now, Harry turned to the archway. The tattered curtain still fluttered in an invisible breeze, and as he concentrated, he could hear the whispering voices.

And then, gritting his teeth against the pain in his head, Harry Potter walked through the arch and beyond the veil.

* * *

A/N Please review...I'd love to know what you thought. Your review will make a humble author very happy...

This fic is now complete, however, look out for the sequel "Aftermath" Coming soon. That one will be much longer.  



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